The River Laxá in Adaldal

The River Laxá

Welcome to River Laxa - Nes beat

The River Laxa in Adaldalur, also known as Big Laxa, is the queen of Icelandic salmon rivers. It is known for its breathtaking scenery as well as yielding on average larger salmon than any other river in Iceland. For more information Contact Us.

General Information

The Laxa in Adaldalur flows gracefully from the unique Lake Myvatn toward the ocean in the wide Skjalfandi bay in north-east Iceland. The upper part of Laxa in Adaldalur is a fantastic and challenging brown-trout water. The lower 20 km of the river is best known for its large salmon and is run by separate leaseholders.

The productive Nes beat, which has for many decades been overseen by the family at the Nes homestead, covers approximately 12 km of the middle section of the lower river. It is renowned for its unique setting, in beautiful and lush surroundings, and for the quality of the fishing. The average catch for the beat over the last ten years is approximately 350 salmon. Most weeks produce fish over 20 pounds and the Nes beat is known as the best in Iceland to try for a 20 or 30-pounder. In 2016 over hundred 20-pounders and bigger were landed.

The Nes beat is fly only and strictly catch-and-release. There are over 30 marked pools and some of them are among the biggest and most varied in Iceland and can take a while to fish. The width of pools can vary from 15 m to over 50 m, and so some of them are fished from a boat. This is the only salmon river in Iceland where this is practised and it does add to the considerable charm of fishing the Nes beat. Fishing is arranged on a three- to six-day basis. Fishing is permitted for up to 11 hours each day. Fishing hours are from 8 am to 1 pm and from 4 to 10 pm until 15th August when fishing is from 3 until 9 pm.

FISHING SEASONFrom July 1. until late September.

PRIME TIMEFrom mid July until mid August.

RODSNine rods who rotate on three separate beats. Rod sharing is welcome.

River Laxa History

Salmon fishing has been practiced in Iceland since the time of settlement more than 1100 years ago but fly fishing for salmon was first introduced by English anglers in the later part of the 19th century. The first English fishermen to cast their fly into the Laxa was the Yorkshire man Charles H. Akroyd and his friends. They spent almost a month on the Nes beat in 1877, fishing with good success, landing 103 salmon with the average weight of 18 pounds.

Ever since those early days, foreign and Icelandic anglers have kept visiting the Nes beat, enjoying fishing for salmon on the beautiful Laxa River. From the onset of fishing on the Nes beat it has been managed and taken care of by the owners - farmers and salmon fishers who have lived on the banks of river for generations.

Laxa Lodge

Accommodation is at the private Arnes Lodge at the Nes homestead. It has a comfortable living room, a large dining room and eight double en-suite rooms and two single rooms that share a bathroom.

There is an outdoor Jacuzzi on the terrace where one can relax after a day's fishing. Later one can enjoy a three-course dinner prepared by our renowned team of award-winning chefs.

Our Master Chef Will Take Care of You

At Nes lodge we focus on providing our guests with the best there is in Icelandic cuisine and offer a distinguished selection of wines from around the world.

In the early morning our anglers will enjoy a continental breakfast before heading out to fish. Lunch and dinner are prepared by our renowned team of award-winning chefs coming from some of the best restaurants in Reykjavik. All our meals are prepared using only the freshest ingredients.

Our Knowledgeable Team of Guides

Our knowledgeable team of guides is headed by Arni Petur Hilmarsson who is one of the fifth generation of the Nes family. All the guides on Nes have been fishing the river for many years and will do their very best to assist anglers in every way during their stay. They have a passion for fly fishing and for the river they hold dear.

All our guides are English speaking and provide our guests with four-wheel-drive vehicles for transport along the river. Each guide is normally shared by two anglers, but a private guide can be provided upon request.